Amalgam well



Feb. 6, 1962 J. IRBY AMALGAM WELL Filed April 5, 1960 INVENTOR. J M as L. 125v United States Patent ()fifice 3,619,891 AMALGARH WELL James L. Irhy, ltlltl Noble St Fairbanks, Alaska; Gladys Eirhy, administratrix of the estate of James L. Irhy, deceased Filed Apr. 5, ram, Ser. No. 20,170 6 Claims. till, 266 l) This invention relates to a novel box-type holder for holding dental amalgam mix in an accessible and convenient manner from which an amalgam carrier can readily pick up amalgam.

The primary object of the invention is to provide a simple and eflicient holder of the character indicated which involves a container, having a hinged cover, a support within the container surmounted by a resilient compressible pad, and opening means in the cover which serves, while the cover is closed to both confine and expose amalgam mix in the opening means and bearing upon the pad, the pad then serving, upon downward pressure of an amalgam carrier on the mix, Within the opening means, to impart an upward bias to the mix, as the carrier is removed from the mix, which more satisfactorily applies the mix to the carrier.

Another object of the invention is to provide a device of the character indicated above wherein the closing of the cover comprises the pad and produces limited extrusion of the pad, upwardly through the opening means, and tensions the cover upwardly, and latch means for holding the cover down in closing relation to the container, against the tension of the pad.

A further object of the invention 'is the provision of a device of the character indicated above, wherein the pad support is spaced from sides of the container in order to provide space within the container to receive, and confine in the container, scrap amalgam mix, which is adapted to be brushed d the pad, after the desired amount of mix has been taken off.

Other important objects and advantageous features of the invention will be apparent from the following description and the accompanying drawings, wherein, for purposes of illustration only, a specific formof the invention is set forth in detail.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a device of the invention, the cover being closed;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view, showing the cover in open position;

FIGURE 3 is a top plan view of FIGURE 1;.

FIGURE 4 is an enlarged vertical longitudinal section taken on the line 44 of FIGURE 3; and,

FIGURE 5 is a transverse vertical section taken on the line 55 of FIGURE 4, showing the cover open: in phantom lines and closed in full lines- Referring in detail to the drawings, wherein like numerals designate like parts throughout the several views, the illustrated device comprises an open top container 10, preferably of plastic material, and here shown as being longitudinally elongated and rectangular in form. The illustrated container comprises a fiat bottom wall 12, front and back walls 14 and 16, respectively, and end walls 18.

Fixed to and upstanding along the longitudinal centerline of the bottom wall 12 is a longitudinally elongated relatively narrow pedestal 2a which comprises a vertical web 22 which has, on its u er edge, a fiat head 24 which is centered on and extends the length of the web 22 and reaches beyond the opposite sides thereof. The upper surface 26 of the head 24 is flat, and is spaced downwardly from the common upper edge 28 of the container walls. The pedestal is relatively widely spaced from the 2 front and back walls of the container 10, and at its ends is spaced from the container-end walls 18, so as to provide a relatively large scrap amalgam receiving chamber St in the container 10.

Suitably secured upon and extending the width and length of the upper surface 26 of the pedestal head 24-, is a resilient and compressible pad 32, which is preferably a block of externally furnished foam rubber or the like. The pad 32 is somewhat thicker than the distance be.- tween the upper surface 26 of the pedestal head 24 and the common upper edge 28 of the walls of the container, so that the pad 32 is compressed and tensioned by the closing of a cover 34 for the'container 10.

The cover 34 is preferably a rigid flat plate of substantial thickness, preferably greater than. the. thickness of the container walls, and is dimensioned to bear upon the common upper edge 28: of the container walls when closed, as shown in FIGURE 5. The cover is suitably hinged, along its back edge. 36,.upon the container back wall 16, as indicated at 38. Mounted on the front edge it of the cover 34 is one component 42 of releasable catch means, generally designated 44, which is engageable with a second component 46 thereof which is mounted on the container front wall 14, whereby the cover is held down in closed position on the container 10, with the pad 32'under compression.

The cover 34 is provided, along its longitudinal centerline with amalgam mix exposing opening means, which preferably comprises a longitudinal slot 48 and a circular hole 59. The walls of the slot 48 and of the hole 50 are downwardly tapered to narrower apertures 52 and 54, respectively, which are narrower than the pad 32, as shown in FIGURE 5, so that amalgam mix (not shown) placed on the upper surface of the pad, is compressed, together with the pad, in areas outlying and surrounding the apertures. S2 and 54, and the areas of the pad and the mix within these apertures, are extruded upwardly through the apertures as indicated at 53 and The areas of the pad within the apertures 52' and 54 are relatively uncompressed by the cover 34, so. that, upon downward pressure, exerted upon the extruded portions of amalgam mix, by a carrier, produces downward tensioningthereof, which, when the carrier is elevated, spring upwardly and apply: the. amalgam to the carrier, so that the amalgam adheres to the carrier to a greater extent than is ordinarily the case when a carrier is applied. to amalgam: resting upon an unyielding surface.

Whilethere has been: shown and described herein a preferred: form of the invention, it. is. to 'be; understood that the invention is not necessarily confined thereto, and

' that; any change or changes in the structure of and: in the relative arrangements of components thereof are con,- ternplatedas being within'the; scopeof the.- invention, as definedby theclaims appended hereto, I

What is claimed is:

1. An amalgam well comprising a container having a bottom wall and an upstanding sidewall having an upper edge, a pedestal upstanding on said bottom wall and spaced from said sidewall to define a scrap amalgam receiving chamber Within the container, said pedestal having a top surface spaced below the upper edge of the sidewall, a resilient and compressible pad secured upon said top surface, said pad being thicker than the distance between said top surface and the upper edge of the sidewall, a cover engageable with the upper edge of the sidewall and closing the top of the container in closed position, said cover in closed position compressing said pad, means for holding the cover down in closed position against the tension of said pad, and opening means embodying an elongated closed slot of a width less than said pad in the cover over said pad for exposing amalgam mix resting Patented Feb. 6, 1962' upon the pad and compressed by the cover around the opening means.

2. An amalgam Well comprising a container having a bottom wall and an upstanding sidewall having an upper edge, a pedestal upstanding on said bottom wall and spaced from said sidewall to define a scrap amalgam receiving chamber within the container, said pedestal having a top surface spaced below the upper edge of the sidewall, a resilient and compressible pad secured upon said top surface, said pad being thicker than the distance between said top surface and the upper edge of the sidewall, 21 cover engageable with the upper edge of the sidewall and closing the top of the container in closed position, said cover in closed position compressing said pad, means for holding the cover down in closed position against the tension of said pad, and opening means in the cover over said pad for exposing amalgam mix resting upon the pad and compressed by the cover around the opening means, said pad being relatively uncompressed in the area subtended by the opening means and extruding amalgam mix upwardly through the opening means, said opening means comprising an opening having downwardly tapering sides defining a reduced aperture at the underside of the cover, said aperture being narrower than the pad and amalgam mix covering the pad.

3. An amalgam well comprising a container having a bottom wall and an upstanding sidewall having an upper edge, a pedestal upstanding on said bottom wall and spaced from said sidewall to define a scrap amalgam receiving chamber within the container, said pedestal having a top surface spaced below the upper edge of the sidewall, a resilient and compressible pad secured upon said top surface, said pad being thicker than the distance between said top surface and the upper edge of the sidewall, a cover engageable with the upper edge of the sidewall and closing the top of the container in closed position, said cover in closed position compressing said pad, means for holding the cover down in closed position against the tension of said pad, and opening means in the cover over said pad for exposing amalgam mix resting upon the pad and compressed by the cover around the opening means, said pad being relatively uncompressed in the area subtended by the opening means and extruding amalgam mix upwardly through the opening means, said opening means comprising a longitudinally elongated slot and a round hole, said slot and said hole having downwardly tapering sides defining reduced apertures at the underside of the cover, said apertures being narrower than the pad and amalgam mix covering the pad.

4. An amalgam well comprising a container having a bottom wall and an upstanding sidewall having an upper edge, a pedestal upstanding on said bottom wall and spaced from said sidewall to define a scrap amalgam receiving chamber within the container, said pedestal having a top surface spaced below the upper edge of the sidewall, a resilient and compressible pad secured upon said top surface, said pad being thicker than the distance between said top surface and the upper edge of the sidewall,

said container being elongated rectangular in form, and

said pedestal being longitudinally elongated and positioned endwise and centrally within the container.

5. An amalgam well comprising a container having a bottom wall and an upstanding sidewall having an upper edge, a pedestal upstanding on said bottom wall and spaced from said sidewall to define a scrap amalgam receiving chamber within the container, said pedestal having a top surface spaced below the upper edge of the sidewall, a resilient and compressible pad secured upon said top surface, said pad being thicker than the distance between said top surface and the upper edge of the sidewall, a cover engageable with the upper edge of the sidewall and closing the top of the container in closed position, said cover in closed position compressing said pad, means for holding the cover down in closed position against the tension of said pad, and opening means in the cover over said pad for exposing amalgam mix resting upon the pad and compressed by the cover around the opening means, said container being elongated rectangular in form, and said pedestal being longitudinally elongated and positioned endwise and centrally within the container, said pedestal comprising an upstanding relatively narrow web, and a wider head fixed on the upper edge of the Web, said head having a flat upper surface with which the pad is coextensive and to which the pad is secured.

6. An amalgam well comprising a container having a bottom wall and an upstanding sidewall having an upper edge, a pedestal upstanding on said bottom wall and spaced from said sidewall to define a scrap amalgam receiving chamber within the container, said pedestal having a top surface spaced below the upper edge of the sidewall, a resilient and compressible pad secured upon said top surface, said pad being thicker than the distance be- I tween said top surface and the upper edge of the sidewall,

a cover engageable with the upper edge of the sidewall and closing the top of the container in closed position, said cover in closed position compressing said pad, means for holding the cover down in closed position against the tension of said pad, and opening means in the cover over said pad for exposing amalgam mix resting upon the pad and compressed'by the cover around the opening means, said holding means comprising latch means having interengageable components mounted severally on the cover and the container sidewall.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,522,958 Land Jan. 13, 1925 1,934,014 Spahn Nov. 7, 1933 2,046,869 Burke July 7, 1936 ill- 

